Composition Lab

Composer and RiverArts faculty member Sima Wolf will lead RiverArts’ new Composition Lab, a weekly virtual creative experience in which participants will explore elements of music composition and each write their own piece.

“What makes a piece of music meaningful? How can we tell the difference between random sounds and organized music? How can we access the music inside us and share it with others?” Wolf asks. “In the Composition Lab, the goal is to develop skills in creating a piece of music. Listening, analyzing, playing, and notating are all important elements.” Students will engage in various techniques using melody, rhythm, harmony, form, texture, and expression. During class, students will play their instruments one at a time in a “Round Robin” style, an ideal format for Zoom. Students will be guided through the basic composition process through the five weeks, by the end of which they will have each completed an original work. At the end of the program, each student will receive a recording of their piece being performed by a professional musician on our faculty.

Music composition is a practical creative exercise that teaches skills that are also useful outside of music. “The student is responsible for original thinking and ideas; they get to explore what it means to make those ideas a reality,” says Music Program Director Maureen Kelly. “This means creativity can flourish and is supported by critical thinking and practical follow-through. This process is an integral part of musicianship, but also a skillful combination of thought and action that can be applied to any area of interest and study. Any student of music has much to gain from exploring composition in addition to their private lessons.”

Prerequisites for enrollment in the Composition Lab include the ability to read music and at least three years of experience playing an instrument.
This workshops meets on Tuesdays from March 9 – April 13, 2021 at 6:30pm.

For more information about the Composition Lab, visit riverarts.org/complab or email us at musicprogram@riverarts.org.